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Lawmakers Frown at the Spate of Sexual Abuse in the Country

Lawmakers Frown at the Spate of Sexual Abuse in the Country
The House of Representatives at its sitting on Thursday, January 18, 2018 debated and passed for second reading ‘A Bill for an Act to provide for registration and monitoring of persons convicted for sexual offenses against minors’. The sponsor of the Bill Hon. Ochiglegor, while arguing the general principles of the piece of legislation averred that the main intention of the Bill is to among others initiate a mechanism to curtail the spate of sexual abuses against under aged children in the country. 

He further informed that usually, the victims of sexual abuse often suffer untold depression and psychological trauma, adding that “every serious country must take such cases seriously with the sense of responsibility of protecting these minor from inhuman treatments”. The lawmaker also stated that most often than not, victims of sexual assault do not report the case to security agencies.  

While decrying the pains victims of such crime suffer, including suicide, he recommended that the relevant government agencies have an organized database that would help protect the children as well as ward-off offenders.
Several Members who spoke during the debate vehemently frowned at all manner of sexual offenses, particularly when minors are the target. They sued for stiffer punitive measures for offenders. 


However, Hon. Kingsley Chinda informed the House that there was a bill already on the floor of the chambers which seeks proper documentation of all criminals in the country, he requested that all related Bills on the subject matter harmonised at the relevant committee level to produce an encompassing legislation. The Bill was read the second time and referred to the Committees on Human Rights and Justice for further legislative actions.

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